Rope-clamp.



R. J. KIMLIN.

ROPE GLAMP.

APPLIOATION FILED 1311.8, 1912.

41,063,t3454. Patented June 3, 1913.

@my j? ffm/m ROBERT J'. KIMLIN, OF POUGfI-IKEEPSIE, NEW YORK.

ROPE-CLAMP.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 3, 1913.

Application filed I'February `8, 1912. SeriaI N o. 676,219.

To all whom 2f may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. KIMLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rope- Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of cord and rope holders, and more especially to those which have a pivoted part including a lever by means of which tension is applied to the rope; and the object of the same is to produce a rope clamp of this general character which in the ordinary position of parts may be moved freely both ways over the rope without clamping the same, and which can be manually adjusted at any time and at any point on the rope so that thereafter the tension of the clamp is automatically applied. This object is carried out by the construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a central longitudinal section of this device with its parts in the clamping position. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the device with the parts in their open position in which the grip on the ropevis released and the clamp may be moved freely either way thereon. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device in the position of parts shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawings I have shown two ropes A and '.B, and the clamp attached to the former and running on the latter, these ropes being horizontal and parallel and the clamp being purposely illustrated with the cam at the top.

The principal feature of this invention lies in the fact that the clamp of my invention may be moved freely in either direction along what might be called the fixed rope B, and a draft or pull on the other or tension rope A will not actuate the parts of the clamp to bite the xed rope B unless they have first been set manually.

The numeral 1 designates what might be called a body having lugs 2 and 3 upstanding from its ends, the former provided over its top with a groove 4 and the latter pro vided with a longitudinal hole 5, and the rope B runs through this hole, under the cam yet to be described, and over the groove 4. Said cam 6 is preferably in the form of a small roller pivoted at 7 off its center within a double toggle-lever, the high side of the cam (here shown at the bottom) being roughened or toothed as at 8 and its eX- tremities provided with pins 9 for a purpose to appear. Said toggle lever is made double so as to pass along both sides of the body and the cam as bestseen in Fig. 4, and one member thereof comprises a pair of links 10 pivoted at 11 in the lug 3 and standing astride the same and astride the cam 6; while the other member of the toggle lever comprises a pair of longer links 12 having slots 13 in their bodies mounted slidably on a cross pin 14 in the lug 2, having their inner ends lapping the inner ends of the links 10 and mounted on the said pivot 7 through y of wood.

moved freely along the fixed rope B in either direction, the parts now standing in such position that a gentle pull on the rope A (perhaps due to its weight) tending to turn the links 12 on their pivots 18, is resisted by the fact that their inner ends at the point 7 are held supported by the links 10 on which the thrust is nearly longitudinal. Thus there is quite a little resistance to the movement of the toggles, or in any event there is sutlicient resistance to overcome such a gentle pull on the rope A as would not throw the parts to their closed position. If there be tension on the rope A at this time, the operator will be forced to grab the rope or the shank 16 and overcome the tension if he desires to move the clamp to` the right; on the other hand if he desires that the clamp be moved to the left, all he h as to do is to let go of it and tension on the` rope A will pull it along the rope B. Assuming, however, that he has moved the clamp to the point where he desires 1t to engage the fixed rope B; he now depresses the intermediate pivot 7 by pushing downward on the cam 6 so that the latter assumes the position shown in Figs. l and 2, andthe rope is clamped between the high face of the cam 6 and the rounded face 3 of the lug 3. lmmediately there is Set up a certain resistance to the movement of the device to the left so that in effect t-he rope B is drawing in the direction of the 'arrow Z) in Fig. 2 which is opposed to the tension on the rope A that is in the direction 'of the arrow z in that view, and the result isv that the entire yoke has 'a tendency to slip downward along its slots 13 and to swing upward at its outer end as indicated by the arrow o so that the intermediate pivot 7 is pushed downward within the space between the two lugs. This throws the active tace of the eam 6 yet more firmly toward the base or body l, and bites the teeth S into the rope if teeth are einployed; and further tension on the rope A will but cause the vclamp to still more tightly engage the rope B. The obvious purpose of the pins 9 is to cause the active face of the cani 6 to be presented 'always toward the body l and the rounded face 'of the lug 3, and this pin must have a little movement along the lower edges of the links l0 and l2 as will be clear. It frequently occurs that, after a rope clamp has been engaged with the rope as just described, occasion arises necessitating its adjustment thereon. VVit-h the parts standing as shown in Fig'. 2, if it be desired to move the clamp farther to the 'right along the rope B, all that is necessary is to overcome the tension 'on the rope A as by pulling it by one hand and to grasp the body of the clamp with the other hand and Amove it along 'the rope B, and then when both ropes are released the parts will resume the position shown in this view and the 'clamp will engage the rope B at a point Y `farther tothe right.A If under the same conditions it is desired to set the olainp farther to the left 'on the ropeB, the operator will overcome the tension of the rope A with one hand and simultaneously elevate the intermediate pivot 7 by lift-ing the cam 6' with the other hand, then move the entire vdevice to the left and let go with the left hand and meanwhile depress the cam 6 so that the parts resume the position shown in Fig. 2; after which the tension on the rope A will Yhold them in this position and the tension on the rope B in the opposite direction will draw the cam against the curved face of the lug 8 as above described;

Thus it will be 'Seen that I have .produced a rope clamp in which the biting or gripping action of the cam upon the lug is 'occasioned by the tension on the lever, but in which the links of the latter may be so set that the gripping action is nullitied and the "tension will not 'restore it automatically.

What is claimed as new is:

l. In a rope clamp, the combination with a body having upstanding lugs at its er'- tremities; of a toggle lever comprising two pivotally connected links whereof one link is longitudinally slotted', a pivot connecting the other link with one lug, a pin in the opposite lug engaging said slothand a cam pivoted off its center on the intermediate pivot of the toggle and having its highface adapted to coact with the face of one lug.

2. In a rope clamp, the combination vwith a body having upstanding lugs at its 'eX- treinities, one oi them being pierced with a longitudinal hole; of a toggle lever oomprising two 'pivotally connected whereof one link is longitudinally slotted, a pivot connecting the other link with the perforated lug, a pin in the opposite lug en gagng said slot and a roller on the intermediato o' ivot et the toggle and adapted to be move toward the body between said lugs as the toggle Ais straightened out or to be raised away from said body and lugs by the rope which passes under said roller. g

3. In a rope clamp, the combination with a body having opstanding spaced lugs, one of them being pierced with a longitudinal hole and the other grooved 4for the passage of a rope; of a two-link toggle lever at each links side of said body, a single pin forming the Y l intermediate pivots `for both levers, the outer' end of one link of eaoh lever being "pivoted to one lug and the other links being provided with longitudinal slots, a pin through the opposite lug and on which said slots are slidably mounted, the outer en-ds of these links being connected, a rope at- Y taohed to such ends, and a roller on the in'- terme-diate "ivot 'pin and drawn toward lsaid lugs w en tension '1s applied to said 'pe. g g Y 4. In a rope olamp, the combination with a body having upstanding lugs at its weX tremities, one of them being pierced with a Y longitudinal hole; of a double toggle lever comprising two 4pairs of links and an inter'- mediate pivot pin connecting them, one pair being pivoted to one lug and the other pair longitudinally slotted, a pin through the, opposite lug engaging said slots, a cam pivoted on said intermediate pivot pin and adapted to ooa'ot with the 'ace of the perforate lug, and pin-s in the extremities of the cam projeoting under the lower edges of said links. Y

5. In a rope clamp, the combination with a body having upsta'nding lugs at its e'xtremities provided with openings for the passage of the rope; of a double toggle lever Y named lug engaging said slots, a cam piv- In testimony whereof I have hereunto oted off its center on the intermediate pivot set my hand in presence of two subscribing 1o pin of the toggles and having its high face witnesses. adapted to oo-aet with the face of one lug when said rope is put under tension, and a pin in the extremity of the cam projecting Witnesses: under the lower edges of certain of said C. W. H. ARNOLD, links. JOSEPH C. ALVERSON.

ROBERT J. KIMLIN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IPatents, Washington, D. C. 

